BULBS FOR FORCING. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
83 
bear a liberal shift ; manage afterwards as 
advised for the preceding summer. It will 
take several years to get them up to a 
large blooming state, during which time 
they must be well supplied with root-room, 
either by giving larger pots, or still better, 
by turning them out in a bed. In either 
case, they will last in a healthy state for 
some years, but, if in pots or tubs, they 
must be regularly attended to during the 
growing season with manure-water. 
The following are the most desirable 
kinds :— 
B. Ariza. The largest grower ; it bears 
splendid large heads of deep crimson 
flowers, which open early in summer. A 
native of Bogota. 
B. coccinea. 
with bright scarlet flowers. 
bloomer. 
B. erecta. A scarlet-flowered kind from 
South America. 
B. grandiceps. This bears conspicuous 
large heads of bloom, red in colour. From 
the Caraccas. 
Insects.—The large leaves of these 
Browneas do not offer much shelter for 
insects; a regular use of the syringe 
through the growing season will usually 
be found sufficient to keep them clean. 
A West Indian species, 
A summer 
BRUNSFELSIA. 
Evergreen stove plants of neat habit. 
Their flowers are distinct in appearance, 
and produced in sufficient quantities to 
make them attractive ; yet they appear to 
be now little thought of by plant growers, 
as they are rarely seen. They can be pro- 
pagated, and grown on under conditions 
such as advised for Taberncemontanas, 
which see. 
The following are pretty kinds :— 
B. americana. Flowers yellow, pro- 
duced early in summer. A native of the 
West Indies. 
B. americana augustifola. This also 
has yellow flowers ; it blooms a little later 
than the type species. From the West 
Indies. 
B. undulata. 
that blooms in summer. 
Jamaica. 
A white-flowered species 
A native of 
BULBS FOR FORCING. 
The different kinds of bulbs that are 
used for forcing play an important part in 
greenhouse decoration during winter, as 
also in providing flowers for cutting. The 
rincipal thing in the management of bulbs 
or this purpose is to treat them so as to 
get plenty of active roots in the soil before 
putting them in heat to excite top growth. 
Without this there is little chance of success, 
on account of the deficiency of feeding 
fibres to support the advancing flowers and 
leaves. For this reason the bulbs should, 
before being put in heat, always be potted 
long enough to admit of the soil being well 
filled with roots. Hyacinths, which hold 
the first place amongst the bulbs used in 
this way, should be potted from the latter 
end of September to the end of November, 
according to when they are wanted in 
bloom. Large pots are unnecessary, a 5 or 
6 inch pot is big enough for the largest 
bulb ; often two or three are put in each 
one of that size, and the result is all that 
could be desired. Good loam, with a sixth 
of rotten dung and a good sprinkling of 
sand, will answer. Drain the pots, press 
the soil moderately firm, and put the bulbs 
with their tops just above the soil. As 
soon as they are potted plunge the pots ina 
bed of coalashes, or cocoa-nut fibre, and cover 
them over to the extent of three or four 
inches. There let them remain until the 
soil is full of roots. When Hyacinths are 
to be grown in water, fill the glasses so that 
the base of the bulbs will not quite touch 
the water, and stand in a dark place until 
a good quantity of roots are made. The 
water should be changed before it gets at 
all foul during the growth of the flowers. 
Roman Hyacinths are often flowered in 
shallow pans that hold ten or twelve to- 
gether, or, if preferred, four or six may be 
put in 6 or 7 inch pots. These little 
Hyacinths bear forcing well, and come into 
bloom long before the larger kinds can be 
had. To flower in the middle of November 
the bulbs should be potted as soon as they 
are imported. Other kinds of bulbs in- 
tended for forcing, such as Scillas, Tulips, 
Narcissus, Crocuses, Snowdrops, &c., re- 
quire to. be placed deeper in the pots, so 
that the bulbs may be entirely covered 
with soil. Put from one to half a dozen 
together in pots according to the size of the 
respective bulbs and of the pots used. In 
all cases see that the potting is carried out 
early enough, so that they may be well 
rooted before they are putin heat. Before 
the latter is done see that the top-growth, 
which will have made some progress, is 
gradually inured to the light, otherwise it 
will be injured. As soon as this hardening 
process is effected the bulbs must be stood 
where they will get plenty of light, or the 
leaves and flower-stems will be drawn up 
weak, and their appearance spoilt. A night 
temperature of from 50° to 60° is enough 
for the bulbs above-named, with a little 
more in the day ; if kept too hot they will 
be injured. In all cases give some air 
